Location: Wabano Beach Park, Parry Sound, Ontario
Description: Sprint Duathlon - 4 km Run, 19 km Bike, 4 km Run
Website: www.multisportcanada.com
Depending on how fast you drive, from Markham, it can take you anywhere from 1 hr 45 minutes to 2 hrs to get to the race site.
This race was supposed to take place the day before (Saturday), but all races were cancelled due to the heavy rain and thunderstorms. In a very classy and generous move by John Salt of Multisport Canada (something he really did not have to do), he moved the race to Sunday, and offered a 10 km running race for those who could not return on Sunday. Even those returning the next day were invited to participate.
After 5 days of doing absolutely nothing (recovering from Ironman Lake Placid), I was itching for some activity so I decided to do the 10 km race and the Sprint Duathlon on Sunday.
Running in the 10 km Race
The 10 km was a lot of fun and it was great to be out there again and running. I still felt the effects of IMLP as the legs were still a bit sluggish. I decided to run the entire race in my aerobic zone (150-165 bpm) so that I wouldn’t fry my legs for tomorrow. I did the first 5 km in 24:55, which I was really happy with. It was tough letting all those people run away from me but I stuck to the plan. I kept going at that intensity for the next 3 km and with 2 km to go I picked up the pace and out of the zone a bit to finish the second 5 km in 24:36. Total time 49:31 with an average heart rate of 168 bpm.
Now lets get to the Sprint Duathlon on Sunday. The race was scheduled to get going at 9 am, after all the Half Iron Distance athletes got out of the water and onto their bikes. This gave me a chance to cheer on some fellow Team Running Free athletes such as Tara Norton and Kelly Boucher. We were informed that the bike segment of the race would be shortened to 18 km (from 30 km) to ensure everyone’s safety on the course (Iron Distance athletes were using the same roads). No big deal for me today since I needed to get home as soon as possible for a family lunch.
The first 4 km run was better than I expected. My goal was to go sub 20 minutes but the legs felt a bit sore from yesterday. I took the first kilometre easy but then took off from the pack I was running with. I caught up with Gord Avann (an athlete who totally smokes the bike segment) and we ran together the rest of the way. We talked about pushing harder and going for a top 5 finish. I told him that with his biking skills that would be a sure thing for him but only a possibility for me. We pushed on and I clocked a time of 19:32 for the first run (avg. HR: 168 bpm). I made a very quick 33 second transition and hopped on the bike.
The start of the Bike leg
Since I had not ridden a bike in one week, I felt sluggish. With the rolling hills you get early on in this course, this is not a good feeling to have. It was not a stellar performance on the bike but I managed to keep the rest of field from passing me (aside from Gord of course). I finished the 19 km course in 31:26 (avg, HR: 169) and took only 20 seconds to make the transition from bike to run. I set my mind to hammer, make sure no one passed me, and possibly catch anyone if I could. At the 2 km mark I gave it a little extra and pushed to finish. I ran that final 4 km in 20:11 (avg. HR: 174), which was what I ran the first leg of the run last year. The finishing time was 1 hr and 12 minutes, with an overall average heart rate of 170 bpm and burning 1464 calories. Good enough for 5th overall, and second in the 30-39 age group. I also had the fastest transition times on the day. Those Pyro Pedal platforms are to thank for that.
I was pleased with the result considering the fact that I have done nothing for 5 days. I could not stay for the awards (due to my family lunch), so I thanked John Salt for going the extra mile and putting on the race for us and headed home. This has become one of my favourite races to do, but for the ultimate challenge you must do the Iron Distance race (tri or du). It is probably the toughest race out there (largely due to that hilly run course).
I should also mention the new Multiman Race that is also put on by Multisport Canada. The goal is to make it a cool and relaxed race and weekend just like the famous Wildflower race. You put together a relay team and do the 4km swim, 120km Bike and 30 km run. There are multiple laps of each segment but you decide who does what as long as no athlete does two consecutive loops. For example, a 3 person team can share the bike segment equally, or one person may do 2 laps of the bike and another just one. The venue at Calabogie Peaks Resort looks nice too. Check out the cool format at http://www.multisportcanada.com/
Gracefully Finishing the Duathlon :)
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